Mark Goldman,
Buffalo historian. Goldman, a local hero to some, who was instrumental in the
revitalization of the Chippewa Street area.

"In Mark Goldman's imagination twenty four years ago was a plan to
transform Chippewa Street in downtown Buffalo from what many people
described as a red light district into an entertainment center of the
city. Goldman purchased the Calumet Building in 1988 and the rest
is Buffalo history. " - Holly Metz Doyle, The Calumet: Making Old Elements Appear New Again Buffalo Spree Magazine, November 1, 2012

A BIT OF HISTORY:

KKK chapter here during Prohibition in the Calumet Building. See text below.

One outstanding feature of this building is the glazed polychromatic
terra cotta

The facade on Chippewa St. is of cream and burnt sienna glazed
terra cottaNote the two vertical piers that do not extend to the foundation.Calumet is French for "reed"
Pendant flowers and garland

Exceptional spandrel panelsEntranceThe calumet, a ceremonial peace pipe, was the hallmark of the
Calumet Club which occupied part of the buildingThe bottom of one of the two vertical piers that do not extend to the foundation. The hole is probably a drain spout.

"Few people know we had an active KKK chapter here during Prohibition and that
its office was in the Calumet Building. For those unfamiliar with Klan history in
Buffalo, see Shawn Lay's book, 'Hooded Knights on the Niagara' (NY University Press,
c1995). A Buffalo policeman lost his life in the battle with the Klan, and has been
forgotten as a martyr against intolerance."

Openly
advocating white supremacy and white nationalism, the Klan was known
for racist rhetoric and violence against African-Americans, Jews,
Catholics, and immigrants. They also promised opportunities for
business contacts, fraternal bonding, mystical ritual, and community
improvement, casting themselves as defenders of Anglo-Saxon Protestant
notions of morality and decency...

The Klan's arrival in Buffalo in 1921 exploited a bitter mayoral campaign that pitted Frances X. Schwab (1874-1946), a brewery owner born to German Catholic immigrants, against Protestant Yale-educated "establishment" attorney George S. Buck
(1875-1931). The electorate divided along religious, class, and ethnic
lines, and Schwab, who had campaigned in opposition to Prohibition, won
a narrow victory, becoming Buffalo's first Roman Catholic mayor...

In spite of hostility to the Klan from the Buffalo press, the Catholic
Diocese, and leading rabbis and African-Americans, the Buffalo
chapter's first public ceremony took place in a vacant field on Harlem
Road on October 25, 1922 (Lay, p.45). The initiation of 800 new
recruits was accompanied by a burning cross and public denials of
racial bigotry...

Klan headquarters were ransacked on July 3, 1924, and the membership
list stolen, perhaps by or with the assistance of Schwab's undercover
agents (Lay, p.120). The list was soon in the hands of police, who
promptly put it on public display in police headquarters. Thousands of
Buffalonians flocked to view the roster and note the names of friends,
neighbors, and associates, many of whom quickly distanced themselves
from the organization.